Italian Lessons
Sinner’s "golden" record, Svitolina’s back a winner in Rome, the book bringing sexy back to tennis and Roland Garros has arrived.
Where We Are
This was one of my favorite episodes to record this season. Nick was out, so I called up two friends to have a fun tennis chat, the group chat come to life.
First up, Lucy Deuce is back on the show. She was last on with us during her Black Spin Global days, and she is now stepping out on her own (she has something exciting coming so keep an eye on her socials). Lucy and I went deep on the Rome finals, some early thoughts on Roland Garros and why the score line on a Sinner match never tells the real story.
Then I sat down with Edward Schmidt, my friend and the author of The Open Era, a tennis novel coming out June 2 that I am unofficially calling the tennis book of the summer. Edward and I have been talking about this book for almost a year, and I am finally getting to share that conversation with you. I am also using it to launch Ground Pass Book Club. More on that soon.
Hanlon Walsh, who covers doubles, also sent in a voice memo from the Rome Masters about how great the tournament was for Ground Pass ticket holders. Another gem of a tournament voice note.
On the Docket
What we got into on the pod this week:
The Rome finals on both sides, what Sinner’s golden moment means for the rest of the ATP tour, and the Coco discourse I refuse to participate in
Mothers coming back to the tour and what Svitolina, Osaka, and Bencic are showing the next generation
Luxury brands moving into tennis (Gucci, Bottega, that Vanity Fair Carlos cover) and why I think we are only at the start of it
Edward on writing The Open Era, the João Lucas Reis Da Silva qualifying match we watched together, and what it would actually look like for an out gay man to break through on the ATP side
Taylor Fritz, the Renaissance Festival, and the carousel that may or may not be a comeback campaign
Press Play
🎧 Episode 23: It’s Just Sinner, with Lucy Deuce and Edward Schmidt
Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts
Bonus Point
Coaching Corner is back, and the off-court reshuffle is busier than the on-court action. Victoria Mboko is training with Wim Fissette on a trial basis, which feels like a smart, ambitious bet for a young player who has been climbing fast already in the top 10 and is probably looking for a bigger title. Jack Draper is bringing in Andy Murray for the grass season after parting with Jamie Delgado. I always assumed Draper would land with Murray eventually, I did not think it would happen this soon, and I am actually surprised that Murray is back coaching so soon after leaving team Djokovic. And then there’s Emma Raducanu, who has officially re-hired Andrew Richardson, the coach who guided her to the 2021 US Open title. I have never quite followed the logic of the Raducanu coaching carousel, which has rivaled her kit changes in frequency, and this one reads like a quiet admission that splitting with her Slam-winning coach in the first place was the wrong call.
Carlos Alcaraz is out of grass season. With a lingering right wrist injury. Carlos has withdrawn from Queen’s and Wimbledon. That he is making this call before Roland Garros has even begun tells you something. It is not how I saw his season going but Dominic Thiem showed us, what happens when a wrist injury gets pushed too far.
Off Court
Hardcourt’s interview with Ayan Broomfield was personal. As a person of color who attends tournaments as media, I recognized so much of what she said about what it actually feels like to walk into a tennis tournament as a Black woman. Ayan’s Aces, the program she has built to bring more Black women to events, is doing the kind of community work that is so greatly needed in tennis. Tennis has a long way to go on widening who feels welcome in the sport, and this is one of the most honest interviews I have read on the subject. Watch the video too.
The OFF SEASON preseason finale dropped this Sunday. We closed out the preseason chapter of the series, and I am incredibly proud it. If you have been waiting for the right entry point, this is it. Check out the playlist and watch it from the top. We are heading into OFF SEASON: IN SEASON next, with episodes from Dallas, Delray, Indian Wells, Miami, and Charleston, and I cannot wait for you to see what we made on the road.
On Deck
Roland Garros qualifying is underway and the main draw arrives Thursday. We are recording and releasing a Roland Garros preview episode this Thursday with our take on who to watch, the qualifiers worth bookmarking, and how to watch in the US and UK. Subscribe so it lands in your feed the moment it drops.
Ground Pass at McCarren Park returns. Our Roland Garros Grand Slam screenings in McCarren Park are coming May 30 and 31, and June 5 through 7. Bring a friend, bring two, and meet us in the Parkhouse.
Ground Pass Book Club is on the way. The Open Era by Edward Schmidt comes out June 2. Pre-order your copy now, and details on how the club will run are coming soon. If you are in New York, Edward’s launch event is at The Strand on June 2 at 7pm and tickets are moving.